Thanksgiving volunteering in Milwaukee 2025: Guide to Giving Back

Charlie Berens gives back at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin

Greater Milwaukee offers dozens of ways for families to give back this Thanksgiving season, but the best opportunities fill up fast. The most family-friendly options include food sorting at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin (ages 10+), meal service at St. Vincent de Paul (explicitly welcomes families), and specialized programs like Sunbeam Kids that are designed specifically for families with children as young as 3. While many organizations set minimum ages at 13-16 for independent volunteering, numerous programs welcome younger children when accompanied by parents, making November an ideal time to start a family tradition of service.

Milwaukee families face a critical challenge when seeking Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities: high demand meets limited availability, especially for traditional Thanksgiving Day meal service. The good news? The greater Milwaukee area hosts over 30 organizations actively seeking family volunteers throughout November, with options ranging from behind-the-scenes food sorting to hands-on animal care, senior companionship, and toy drive coordination.

Related: Volunteer opportunities for Christmas in the Milwaukee area

Food pantries and soup kitchens

The heart of Thanksgiving volunteering beats strongest in Milwaukee's network of food distribution centers and community meal programs. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin stands out as exceptionally family-friendly, accepting volunteers as young as 10 years old (with adult supervision for those under 16). Families spend 2.5-hour shifts packaging, labeling, and sorting food donations at their Milwaukee campus, with shifts available Monday through Thursday mornings and afternoons, plus select Saturday mornings. The organization's volunteer coordinator Adam Koebel can be reached at akoebel@feedingamericawi.org or 414-831-6326, and families sign up through their online portal at feedingamericawi.org.

Kinship Community Food Center offers perhaps the most progressive family volunteering policy in Milwaukee. Children under 10 can volunteer with a parent or guardian present at all times, youth ages 10-13 need a chaperone nearby, and teens 14-17 can volunteer independently. Located at 924 E. Clarke Street, Kinship operates on a "everyone gives, everyone receives" philosophy that creates transformational community relationships—perfect for teaching children about dignity and mutual respect in service. Food distribution happens Tuesdays 2:30-6:30pm and Saturdays 7:30-11am, while food sorting occurs Fridays 8:30-10:30am. Contact them at 414-301-1478 or info@kinshipmke.org to receive email sign-ups for specific time slots.

St. Vincent de Paul Meal Program explicitly describes their two locations as "excellent volunteer opportunities for families." The Cross Roads Kitchen at 931 W. Madison Street (south side) and Harambee Kitchen at 2600 N. 2nd Street (north side) both serve 150-200 hot meals nightly Sunday through Friday from 5:30-6:15pm. Multiple church groups regularly bring families including teens, and volunteers help prepare meals, set up dining rooms, serve food, and handle light cleaning. Sign up is refreshingly simple through SignUpGenius links available at svdpmilw.org, or call the Cross Roads Kitchen at 414-649-9555 or Harambee Kitchen at 414-249-3866.

The Hunger Task Force sets its minimum age at 16 for independent volunteers, but children under 16 may attend with an adult who is volunteering. The organization offers diverse opportunities beyond meal service, including building Stockboxes for seniors, helping at Mobile Markets, and working at The Farm in Franklin harvesting produce. Their signature event, the annual Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Food Drive at American Family Field, typically occurs the Friday before Thanksgiving and draws hundreds of volunteers. Apply 2-3 months in advance for service hour requirements by contacting volunteer@hungertaskforce.org, as popular opportunities book up quickly at Milwaukee's only free and local food bank.

The Gathering of Southeast Wisconsin operates four neighborhood locations serving 14 free meals each week year-round. With a maximum of 8 volunteers per meal shift, families should register early at thegatheringwis.org/volunteer or contact volunteer coordinator Lisa Murray at lmurray@thegatheringwis.org or 414-272-4122. Volunteers under 17 must review the Children and Youth Volunteer Policy, but the organization welcomes groups and families for breakfast, lunch, and dinner shifts throughout November. On Thanksgiving Day specifically, Milwaukee Rescue Mission at 830 N. 19th Street serves more than 400 people with help from 100+ volunteers. Create a volunteer profile early at milmission.vomo.org or contact volunteer@milmission.org or 414-935-0241 to secure a spot for this high-demand opportunity.

Toy drives

Thanksgiving season kicks off the holiday gift-giving rush, and Toys for Tots Milwaukee makes participating incredibly easy for families of all ages. The Marine Corps Reserve program distributed 30,741 toys to 8,034 children in 2024, accepting new, unwrapped toys for children ages 0-12 from October through December. Drop-off locations include the Salvation Army Distribution Center at 5880 N. 60th Street, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Center at 2401 S. Lincoln Memorial Drive, and various CubeSmart locations throughout Milwaukee. Families can also purchase toys through the YouGiveGoods online platform and have them shipped directly, or request collection boxes to host toy drives at workplaces or schools. Find the full list of drop-off locations at milwaukee-wi.toysfortots.org.

The Salvation Army runs two complementary programs that together served over 46,500 children in 2023. The Toy Shop allows registered families to "shop" for free toys in a store-like atmosphere, requiring volunteers to sort donations and assist parents. The Angel Tree program, running through December 16, 2024, places tags with children's wish lists on trees at Walmart and Sam's Club locations. Families pick a tag, purchase appropriate gifts in the $20-35 range, and return them to the address listed on the tag—or participate online at salvationarmyusa.org/walmart-angel-tree. Drop off toy donations year-round at their Distribution Center (5880 N. 60th Street, 414-464-2971, Monday-Wednesday 9am-3pm) or at several corps locations throughout Milwaukee County. Contact Jennifer Stewart at SalvationArmy.ToyShop@usc.salvationarmy.org for volunteer opportunities sorting toys October through December.

Capuchin Community Services coordinates the House of Peace Christmas Toy Drive with a goal of providing 3,000+ gifts for children ages 0-10, serving 1,000+ central city households. The organization prefers new toys in gift bags (unwrapped), and families can drop donations at 1702 W. Walnut Street Monday-Friday during two time blocks: 8:30am-noon and 1:30-3:30pm at the 17th Street door. Alternatively, shop their Amazon or Target registries online for direct delivery. Youth groups are specifically encouraged to participate, and volunteers help organize and distribute toys in mid-December. Contact them at 414-933-1300 ext. 1310 or ccsvol@thecapuchins.org for volunteer opportunities beyond donation.

United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County operates the Holiday Giving Tree program, which matched 7,300 wishes in 2024. This workplace-focused program distributes printed gift tags to registered groups in mid-November, with each tag representing a $25 gift need from a participating nonprofit. Groups purchase gifts and deliver them directly to their matched organization in early December. Families can also participate through special giving links that allow financial donations, with United Way purchasing age-appropriate gifts on behalf of donors. Registration runs from mid-October through mid-November, with a Best Practices Session held in October. Contact Jayne Thoma at 414-837-3180 or visit unitedwaygmwc.org/Holiday-Giving-Tree to register your workplace, school, or community group.

Children's Wisconsin accepts toy donations year-round to stock hospital playrooms and provide gifts to young patients. The holiday gift deadline for 2024 is December 9, and the hospital strongly prefers families shop from their Amazon or Target registries for direct shipment. Milwaukee drop-offs require appointments scheduled at giving.childrenswi.org, available Monday-Friday 9am-2pm. All toys must be new and in original packaging with no latex, religious themes, or violent content. The annual radio station toy drive, typically held in early December at Blain's Farm and Fleet in Oak Creek (Howell and Rawson), offers a family-friendly drop-off event supported by 105.7 The Fan and 103.7 KISS FM. Contact toydonations@childrenswi.org or 414-266-2183 for questions.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, presented by JP Morgan Chase, distributes 4,000+ gifts to members at 50+ club locations throughout Milwaukee each December. Families participate by shopping the Amazon wish list at bgcmilwaukee.org/holiday, making monetary donations online for BGCGM to purchase age-appropriate gifts, or volunteering during the two-week gift wrapping period in mid-December. The organization particularly needs educational toys for ages 4-18, winter essentials like coats and gloves, books, games, and sports equipment. Contact donations@bgcmilwaukee.org to arrange volunteer shifts or organize workplace collection drives.

Beyond food and toys: diverse ways families can serve together

Wisconsin Humane Society's Milwaukee campus provides perhaps the most popular alternative volunteering option for animal-loving families. Youth ages 13-15 can volunteer as part of a paired team with an adult, while ages 16-17 can volunteer independently with parental consent. Opportunities include walking dogs, facilitating adoptions, doing laundry, assisting with veterinary prep work, taking photos of animals, working with wildlife rehabilitators, and helping in youth programs. The commitment is substantial—a preferred 6-month minimum with weekly shifts—but the experience is deeply rewarding. Start by watching the Volunteer Information Session video online, then contact volunteer coordinator Jackie Kammers at jkammers@wihumane.org. Be prepared to pay for a volunteer t-shirt and name badge ($10 plus tax) and meet physical requirements including standing/walking up to 3 hours and lifting 20-40 pounds depending on position.

Community Projects for Seniors offers a perfect Thanksgiving Day activity for families willing to commit to both orientation and morning delivery. This all-volunteer organization serves 15,000 seniors at 200 buildings across 8 southeast Wisconsin counties. Volunteers pick up individually packaged hot meals in Oak Creek on Thanksgiving morning and deliver them to seniors in apartment buildings, knocking on doors to personally hand each senior their meal (typically 10-80 meals per site). The mandatory 55-minute orientation must be completed before Thanksgiving Day, after which families receive their site assignment. Transportation is required, and the organization welcomes volunteer groups and families of all ages. Contact them at 3073 S. Chase Avenue, Milwaukee, or through their website—approximately 200 volunteers are needed annually for this heartwarming tradition.

Habitat for Humanity Milwaukee's ReStore program provides year-round opportunities that work well for families with teens. Three locations (Wauwatosa, Franklin, and Greenfield) need volunteers ages 16+ for individual shifts, while ages 14-15 can participate with an adult family member or group chaperone. Volunteers help with cashiering, receiving and processing donations, merchandising displays, pricing furniture and home goods, and assisting customers during 3-4 hour shifts Tuesday through Saturday. Contact volunteer coordinator Nichali Xhelili Ciaccio at nciaccio@milwaukeehabitat.org or 414-316-5619. The organization particularly values "Habitual" volunteers who commit to weekly shifts, and no special skills are required as training is provided.

Healing Warrior Hearts organizes meaningful veteran support activities perfect for families, particularly their Holiday Gift Bag program. This all-volunteer organization assembles and distributes over 300 gift bags to veterans at the VA Medical Center and veteran housing facilities, with families personally delivering bags on Christmas Eve morning. The early December assembly events welcome families to create these care packages together. Additionally, families can support their emotional healing retreats and exhibits at veteran-related conferences throughout the year. Contact them through healingwarriorhearts.org/volunteer to learn about upcoming assembly dates and distribution opportunities.

Eastside Senior Services coordinates flexible, ongoing opportunities that families can weave into their regular November schedule rather than committing to specific Thanksgiving Day shifts. Volunteers of various ages help with rides to appointments, grocery shopping assistance, errands, companionship visits, minor home repairs, and distributing birthday and holiday cards. November specifically includes holiday card distribution and Thanksgiving calls to combat senior isolation on Milwaukee's Eastside, Shorewood, and Riverwest. The beauty of this program lies in its flexibility—volunteers decide their own frequency and commitment level. Visit essmilw.org to sign up for these free services that support adults 60+ regardless of income.

Salvation Army coat drives and winter item collections provide an excellent option for families wanting to organize their own service project. Host a coat drive, sock drive, book drive, or backpack drive at your workplace, school, church, or neighborhood, with November and December being prime collection time. Contact Nettie Perry, Director of Volunteer Services, at Nettie.Perry@usc.salvationarmy.org or 414-302-4300 to register your collection drive and receive promotional materials. Collection drive forms are available at centralusa.salvationarmy.org/milwaukee. This option works beautifully for families with young children who can help sort and organize donations even if they're too young for front-line service roles.

Milwaukee programs for family volunteering

Parents of young children often find traditional volunteer opportunities frustratingly restrictive, with many organizations setting minimum ages at 13-16 years old. Two Milwaukee programs solve this problem by designing their entire structure around family participation.

Sunbeam Kids, founded in 2013 by Milwaukee mom Katie Mleziva, operates as an all-volunteer-driven nonprofit specifically for families with young children. Originally designed for ages 3-7 but now expanded to include older children through a youth board, the program serves approximately 100 member families through monthly "done-in-a-day" volunteer projects. The flexible structure allows families to choose which projects fit their schedule, with registration typically opening 2-3 weeks before each event. Annual membership costs just $20 per child and provides access to age-appropriate projects like making sandwiches for homeless residents, cheering Special Olympics athletes, making crafts for hospital patients, sorting food at pantries, and serving meals at Ronald McDonald House. The "lending a little hand" philosophy emphasizes accessibility and confidence-building for young volunteers. Visit sunbeamkids.org to join this thriving community of service-oriented families.

Kids Impact Community (kicmke.org) takes a similar family-first approach with monthly volunteer opportunities throughout Milwaukee appropriate for children from birth through tween years. Projects vary weekly and have included toy and supply drives, outdoor clean-up days, serving meals at shelters, meeting reading buddies, and hygiene kit assembly. Contact them at 414-266-2787 or 8915 W. Connell Court, Milwaukee, to learn about upcoming November opportunities. Unlike programs requiring long-term commitments, Kids Impact Community allows families to participate as their schedule permits, making it ideal for busy families testing the volunteering waters or those unable to commit to regular weekly shifts.

Both programs address the fundamental challenge families face: teaching young children about service and community responsibility when most volunteer organizations aren't equipped to host them. By joining one or both of these membership organizations, parents gain access to pre-vetted, age-appropriate opportunities that other families have successfully completed with young children.

Strategic planning tips

Timing matters more than most families realize. Organizations like Hunger Task Force explicitly recommend applying 2-3 months in advance for service hour requirements and note that due to high demand, school and youth groups may be limited to participating just once per year. Thanksgiving Day meal service opportunities often fill completely by early October, leaving late-registering families disappointed. The solution? Begin researching opportunities in September, register for specific shifts in early October, and consider that pre-Thanksgiving volunteer activities (food sorting, turkey packing, donation processing) during the first three weeks of November often offer more availability and family-friendly tasks than Thanksgiving Day itself.

Understanding age requirements prevents frustration. Milwaukee organizations follow fairly predictable patterns: most soup kitchens and food pantries accept volunteers ages 10-13 with adult supervision (Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin at 10+, Kinship Community Food Center under 10 with constant parent presence). Animal shelters and hospitals typically require ages 13-16 (Wisconsin Humane Society 13+, Ascension Wisconsin 15+). Food banks and specialized roles often mandate ages 16-18 (Hunger Task Force 16+, many Ronald McDonald House positions 18+). The Gathering sets its limit at under 17 requiring youth policy review, while organizations like Next Door Milwaukee's reading program requires 16+ for adult readers. Families with children under 10 achieve the most success by focusing on Sunbeam Kids, Kids Impact Community, donation sorting programs, and behind-the-scenes roles rather than front-line service positions.

Group size limitations require advance coordination. The Gathering limits shifts to 8 volunteers maximum, meaning a family of six plus grandparents would fill most available slots. St. Vincent de Paul meal programs note that multiple church groups book specific dates well in advance. Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin specifies that school groups require participants to be at least 12 years old, separate from their general 10+ policy. When planning to volunteer as an extended family group or coordinating with another family, contact organizations at least 2-3 weeks in advance (or longer for November dates) to confirm they can accommodate your group size on your preferred date.

Behind-the-scenes work often serves families better than front-line roles. While serving Thanksgiving dinner carries emotional appeal, food sorting, donation processing, box packing, and warehouse organization in early and mid-November frequently offer more family-friendly conditions. These roles allow conversation between family members during the work, provide appropriate tasks for various ages and abilities, occur during more convenient daytime hours, and teach children the less-glamorous but equally essential aspects of charitable work. Organizations consistently report that preparation work in the weeks before Thanksgiving creates more impact than day-of service, yet receives fewer volunteer applications—making these opportunities both more available and more needed.

Consider making November your family's service month rather than focusing exclusively on Thanksgiving Day. United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County specifically promotes "Seasons of Caring" from August through December, recognizing that sustained engagement serves communities better than holiday-only volunteering. Sign up for multiple shifts throughout November—perhaps food sorting one Saturday, a toy drive collection the next weekend, and senior card delivery before Thanksgiving. This approach distributes work more evenly, prevents volunteer burnout, teaches children that service is a lifestyle rather than a holiday obligation, and allows families to explore different types of volunteering to discover what resonates most with their values and interests.

Navigating Milwaukee's volunteer coordination

United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County operates as the primary volunteer coordination hub for the region, maintaining a database of 750+ volunteer opportunities at 230+ nonprofit agencies across Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington, and Waukesha Counties. Their Volunteers United online portal at volunteer.unitedwaygmwc.org allows families to search opportunities by interest area, age requirements, location, and time commitment. The organization can be reached at 414-263-8100 or 200 W. Pleasant Street, Milwaukee, and specifically coordinates "Seasons of Caring" programs during the August-December period when volunteer demand peaks. Contact Sydney Radandt at SRadandt@UnitedWayGMWC.org for guidance on Thanksgiving-specific opportunities.

Several local news outlets publish comprehensive Thanksgiving volunteer guides each November. Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (milwaukeenns.org) produces detailed community journalism covering volunteer opportunities and Thanksgiving meal locations. Local TV stations TMJ4 (tmj4.com), WISN 12 (wisn.com), and CBS 58 all feature community calendars and annual Thanksgiving coverage. OnMilwaukee.com publishes volunteer guides in its community section. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA Today Network, offers archived volunteer guides accessible through Milwaukee Public Library for registered cardholders. These sources typically publish comprehensive guides in early-to-mid November, but checking their websites in October reveals which organizations are already accepting registrations.

VolunteerMatch (volunteermatch.org/search/?l=Milwaukee,+WI) provides a searchable national database with hundreds of Milwaukee opportunities filterable by age, skills, interests, and time commitment. This resource works well for families seeking ongoing volunteer roles beyond the Thanksgiving season or wanting to explore organizations not connected to United Way's network. For statewide coordination, Volunteer Wisconsin (volunteerwisconsin.org) maintains a local volunteer center directory and confirms that United Way of Greater Milwaukee serves as the regional coordinator.

Making Thanksgiving service meaningful

The most successful family volunteering experiences happen when parents prepare children for what to expect, choose age-appropriate roles that allow success rather than frustration, and debrief afterwards to process the experience. Before volunteering, explain who you'll be helping and why these services matter—"Some families don't have enough food for Thanksgiving dinner, so we're going to help make sure everyone gets to eat" works better than abstract concepts about poverty or hunger. During service, point out your children's contributions: "Because you sorted those cans so quickly, we helped 10 more families today." After volunteering, ask open-ended questions: "What surprised you?" "How do you think the people we helped felt?" "What was the hardest part?"

Starting a family tradition of November service creates lasting values and memories. Consider establishing a specific pattern—perhaps the second Saturday of November you always volunteer at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, followed by lunch at a favorite restaurant where you talk about the experience. Or designate the week before Thanksgiving as your family's service week, with different activities each day. Some families create a "service advent calendar" for November, with small acts of kindness (donate food, write thank-you notes to teachers, help a neighbor) leading up to a larger Thanksgiving Day or week volunteer activity.

The research consistently shows that children who volunteer regularly with their families develop stronger empathy, better academic performance, improved social skills, and greater civic engagement as adults. In Milwaukee, where one in three children lives in poverty and food insecurity affects thousands of households, family volunteering addresses real community needs while teaching the next generation that they have the power to make a difference. Whether your family sorts food for two hours in November or commits to monthly service throughout the year, you're building both community strength and family bonds through shared purpose.

Finding your family's perfect fit

Greater Milwaukee's diverse volunteer landscape means virtually every family can find appropriate opportunities regardless of children's ages, family schedule constraints, or service interests. Families with children ages 3-9 should start with Sunbeam Kids or Kids Impact Community for structured, age-appropriate projects, then add donation drives and behind-the-scenes food sorting as children mature. Families with tweens and teens can explore nearly any opportunity that interests them, from animal care to literacy tutoring to meal service, with most organizations welcoming this age group enthusiastically.

For families new to volunteering, one-time Thanksgiving events provide low-commitment entry points—try Community Projects for Seniors' Thanksgiving morning meal delivery or participate in Hunger Task Force's annual Thanksgiving Drive-Thru Food Drive at American Family Field. If the experience resonates, transition to monthly commitments in December and beyond. For families with established volunteering habits seeking new challenges, consider less traditional options like Healing Warrior Hearts' veteran support, Habitat ReStore's retail work, or Eastside Senior Services' companionship visits that address isolation rather than hunger.

The essential step is simply to start—contact organizations now for November 2025 opportunities (yes, that early), sign up for volunteer newsletters to receive timely updates, and block time on your family calendar for service before other activities consume November weekends. Milwaukee's nonprofits operated by thousands of volunteers serve tens of thousands of community members in need each year, and they're waiting for your family to join them in this meaningful work.

Conclusion

Milwaukee families seeking Thanksgiving volunteer opportunities discover a vibrant ecosystem of service that extends far beyond traditional soup kitchen roles. From sorting food alongside 10-year-olds at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin to delivering Thanksgiving meals with Community Projects for Seniors, from shopping Angel Tree tags at Walmart to walking shelter dogs at Wisconsin Humane Society, the greater Milwaukee area offers dozens of ways families can serve together meaningfully. The key insights that separate successful family volunteering from frustration: register in September or early October for Thanksgiving opportunities, understand that age requirements vary widely but many organizations welcome supervised children, and consider that behind-the-scenes November preparation work often fits families better than Thanksgiving Day service.

Programs specifically designed for families with young children—Sunbeam Kids and Kids Impact Community—solve the persistent challenge of finding age-appropriate service for children under 10, while organizations like Kinship Community Food Center and St. Vincent de Paul Meal Program explicitly welcome multi-generational volunteers. The critical strategy is matching your family's composition, schedule, and interests to opportunities where everyone can contribute meaningfully rather than forcing young children into roles designed for teens and adults. Starting this planning process three months in advance and establishing November service as a family tradition creates lasting values, strengthens community bonds, and ensures that all Milwaukee families can enjoy Thanksgiving abundance. Your family's "little hands" and helping hearts are exactly what Milwaukee nonprofits need this season.